Why can low level alts purchase FC housing?

[Jojoya]

I agree with most of what you said, except this. It would at least show to the community that they actually do read our reports and act on them. The way they have reports set up, there's no transparency whatsoever. For all we know those reports go right into a trash bin somewhere. While I realize they can't tell us results due to privacy concerns, they could at least let us know someone has reviewed it. (I'm talking off the website, which is the only place you can report RMT and botting activity.)

Otherwise, yes, this will continue in some fashion until SE finally realizes this is not sustainable and takes another route to player housing.

We already know they read our reports and feedback on the subject.

There would have never been a purchase timer added in 4.2 if they were ignoring us.

Relocation would still be bypassing the purchase timer if they were ignoring us instead of being subject to it as of 6.0.

There wouldn't be the upcoming changes to transfer of FC leadership in 6.1 if they were ignoring us.

They could separate illicit housing activity actions in the weekly "Actions against..." notices but that still doesn't accomplish anything. It's not a deterrent to anyone engaging in RMT.

Are you really going to feel any better seeing "oh they banned someone last week" when you also know that same person is already back to engaging in housing RMT before the weekly notice even gets posted using a new account purchased with the money they made from the RMT sale on the account that was banned?

I know it wouldn't make me feel better. I want meaningful action taken, not pointless statements for sake of appearance.

If RMT in housing is going to get stopped, then the system that supports RMT needs to be replaced with one that does not have loopholes for RMT to exploit. How to do?

- Go to a fully instanced housing system. Other MMOs have amazing instanced housing systems, including ESO which is also multi-platform so "PS4 support" can't be used as an excuse. Characters get to own multiple housing locations instead of being restricted on how many they can have. There's no RMT drama interfering with any player's ability to get the specific housing they want because everyone can have the same thing.

- Still intent on keeping wards? Then remove FC houses from the ward system and go all personal houses with all purchases 100% lottery. Give FCs a version of squadron barracks as a meeting hall with workshop attached based out of the affiliated GC headquarters. That takes the RMT out of FC ownership short of a lazy player wanting a workshop that's already fully established.

[worldofneil]

There wouldn't be the upcoming changes to transfer of FC leadership in 6.1 if they were ignoring us.

Sorry I don't wish to derail this thread, but what upcoming changes to transfer of FC leadership in 6.1?

[Jojoya]

Sorry I don't wish to derail this thread, but what upcoming changes to transfer of FC leadership in 6.1?

https://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/...=1#post5709666

Second slide (top right): "It will no longer be possible to grant brand-new FC members authorization to purchase land or the rank of FC Master."

The specific period that a member would be considered "brand-new" wasn't stated during the Live Letter, only that it would be "significant" (which doesn't mean much).
My personal guess is that the period will be the same as the current auto-dethrone for failure to log in (35 days).

It's going to slow down how often house flipping via FC transfer can happen but I don't see it stopping it altogether. Flippers will simply focus their efforts on purchasing then finding buyers on other worlds and accounts while waiting for the "escrow" (new member period) to expire on their current pending sale.

Again, SE is creating a mess by making restrictions per world instead of making them account wide regardless of world. Any player with multiple houses, even if each is on a different world, is taking away the opportunity for another player to be able to own a house at all. It's rather crazy that a single player with a single account is able to obtain up to 80 houses under the current rules and will be able to continue to do so even after the rules changes simply because SE won't make the ownership restriction account-wide. They keep tossing flimsy band-aids on a system that needs a thorough overhaul.